EVENT | RED RIVER
Let the good times roll: Red River to host Mardi Gras in the Mountains festival
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Red River is taking Mardi Gras out of New Orleans and bringing it to the mountain.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all about music and food and fun,鈥� Ron Weathers, Rex Foundation board member, said about Mardi Gras in the Mountains. The Rex Foundation is in charge of organizing the event.
Weathers said the six-day event 鈥� which runs from Thursday, Feb. 12, through Tuesday, Feb. 17 鈥� is one big party that brings in people from all over.
鈥淥n the early days, the Thursday, Friday, Saturday crowd, they鈥檙e from our traditional visiting areas, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, all over New Mexico,鈥� Weathers said, 鈥渁nd then on Sunday, most of those people disappear, and we have a whole new crowd.鈥�
He said the later days of the event bring in people from Louisiana as well as more visitors from New Mexico.
鈥淲e get kind of a double whammy, but it鈥檚 a great time for our local businesses,鈥� Weathers said.
Events will take place in venues across Red River, including at bars which host musicial acts, including Forest Huval and David Graham.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be big crowds, so (the bars) spend a lot of money on really good talent,鈥� Weathers said, 鈥渁nd so people are here for skiing, for the nightlife and just silliness.鈥�
The event kicks off with the burning of the Wild Tchoupitoulas, Weathers said, which sets the stage.
鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of a New Mexico twist, where he represents your troubles,鈥� Weathers said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 this big 7-foot guy, and people are encouraged to write their troubles on pieces of paper and stuff it inside of his clothing and whatnot, and then we light them on fire and burn troubles away.鈥�
The rest of the week is filled with Mardi Gras-themed events including parades, nightly balls and parties.
鈥淚 always used to say in the early days, our goal is to have them go away saying, 鈥楾hose people are crazy, and I can鈥檛 wait to go back there,鈥欌�� Weathers said.
鈥淥ur goal is to live up to their expectations, show them a good time, which is what we鈥檙e all about anyway,鈥� Weathers said.
Elizabeth Secor is an arts fellow from the New Mexico Local 近距离内射合集 Fellowship program. You can reach her at esecor@abqjournal.com.
